Challenge
by MidnightLore
Summary: When Phantom Skye visit's Vaughn's dealership for some fun, he gets more than what he bargained for.
1. Encounter

"Come on…stay awake…"

Vaughn tried his hardest to remain conscious. He had so much work to do and so little time to finish. Running a livestock dealership wasn't easy, especially if you were starving…and hadn't slept in two days. But that wasn't going to stop him from working. He owed it to his customers to keep his dealership running smoothly.

It was late at night and most of Vaughn's employees had already gone home. Only a handful decided to work overtime with their boss, finishing up piles of paperwork. Vaughn himself was down to one of the last piles when he spied a small, folded red note under the stack. He wasn't very surprised to find something like this, many of his female employees tried to grab the cowboy's attention with little perfumed notes placed daintily on his desk and on his office door. They were nice women, but Vaughn wasn't interested in any of them; for one, he didn't like to mix work and personal life, on the other hand, they just weren't his type. It's not like the cowboy wasn't interested in girls, no, he spent many nice times with the opposite sex, but sometimes he preferred to be alone.

Vaughn eyed the paper curiously though. No one had entered his office, and usually the love notes he got had flower patterns or glitter on them; this was just plain. He shrugged off his suspicion and wearily unfolded the paper. There were no flowers or glitter, just a simple message:

"I'll be coming soon, pretty boy."

He read it over and over. "…pretty boy?" Vaughn rolled his eyes and shrugged it off, throwing the paper in the trash. He rubbed his temples; maybe he could get some rest before the next stack of papers. Vaughn felt his eyes getting heavier as he rested his head on his arm, quickly falling asleep.

Vaughn awoke with a start. A strange, yet intoxicating aroma wafted into his office, causing his stomach to go wild with hunger. He tried to think, this was such a familiar smell…

"…Curry?"

His stomach seemed to be leading him to the kitchen, still in a daze. Curry wasn't one of his particular favorites, but Vaughn would eat anything now, even…carrots.

He stopped at the edge of the hallway, peering cautiously into the kitchen. _Strange…_He thought. No one was there, there were no pots left, no cookware, nothing left out. Vaughn stepped into the kitchen, and out of the corner of his eye, spied something.

A lone plate of steaming curry and rice.

He made no attempt to eat it, just stared at it. Vaughn looked around. He didn't see anyone , and he was sure his employees would be smarter than to leave their food unprotected…or at least without a label.

Vaughn would have taken it for himself, and he was about to, when he heard small noises coming from the other doorway. _Footsteps…_

Vaughn watched the intruder's feet enter the doorway. His eyes couldn't help but widen at the sight.

A somewhat small boy stepped into the room, inspecting the "treasure" he had in his hands. He was sporting somewhat tight burgundy pants, and a black and silver patterned vest that seemed to shine just like stars. But the one feature Vaughn couldn't believe was his long silver hair…just like his.

The boy spied Vaughn out of the corner of his piercing red eyes, grinning. "Why hello there, pretty boy."

"Pretty boy?" Vaughn eyed the man questioningly. "So, it was you who left me that note. Who are you?" he asked, moving closer to the suspicious character.

"Ahahaha…" He gave a deep bow. "I, my good man, am Phantom Skye, perhaps you've heard of my many escapades.?"

Vaughn had indeed heard of Phantom Skye, the notorious thief that warned his victims ahead of time, often leaving strange clues, like curry. He was famous in Forget-Me-Not Valley, and rumors had spread that he was tired of what the small village had to offer, or didn't have to offer, and decided to try and make it big in the city.

"Yeah, I've heard of you, Skye."

"It's always nice to have fans, don't you think, pretty boy?" He heard footsteps coming in the distance. "But alas, I must leave, I'll try to visit again."

Skye started to run, but Vaughn was one step ahead. He grabbed the thief by the collar and had him pinned to the wall, his hand hoisting Skye's wrists above his head, making him drop his loot.

"You're not going anywhere, Phantom."

They were pressed closely together, they were able to feel each other's breath. Skye's eyes unknowingly wandered, drinking in every inch of the cowboy. His black and brown attire suited him, with his hat topping off the ensemble perfectly. Skye heard the footsteps getting closer, and acted fast.

"What, cowboy? Do you think you can tame me?"

Vaughn stepped back, loosening his grip on the thief, and Skye took this opportunity to sprint towards the exit. Vaughn snapped out of his daze to see the shadow of the Phantom descend down the hallway towards the stairs, while the employees entered the kitchen, huffing and panting. One of them was a frail elderly women, crying.

"Sir! Did you see Phantom Skye? He stole this women's jewelry!"

Vaughn didn't respond. He ran after Skye, knowing exactly where he was headed.

The front door to the ranch.

When he got there, the heavy doors were already opened, but he could tell Skye had trouble with them because he was still on the ranch. He stood at the door, reaching slowly for some rope hanging on the side. _He's not getting away…_ Skye was halfway down the ranch when he heard Vaughn coming after him, lasso in hand. Vaughn tossed the lasso. It didn't miss a beat as it hovered over Skye and dropped on him, pinning his arms to his sides and dragging him to the ground. Vaughn kept a tight hold as he tied the rest of the rope around Skye.

"Did you really think you were going to get away, Skye?"

"…Impressive, I must say."

It was only a couple of minutes before the police came, but it felt like years for Skye. He had sat there, Vaughn towering over him, eyeing him every second. It was unnerving, to say the least.

The officer climbed out of his cruiser and couldn't help but laugh at the sight. "Well, well ,well. It looks like the Phantom has finally been caught! I wouldn't have expected anything less from you, Vaughn!"

Vaughn shrugged. "He's a menace to society"

_Ouch…_

The policeman hoisted Skye up roughly. "Come on, and don't worry, they'll treat you real nice in jail."

Skye shot one last look at the cowboy, which made Vaughn think. That boy was pretty young, he shouldn't have to go through jail. Besides, Vaughn could think of worse things to do to him anyway…

"Sir"

"Yeah, Vaughn?"

"…Let me take him off your hands. He's just a kid. I'll straighten him out."

The policeman thought it out, then decided it was probably the best thing to do for him. "Alright, I'll hand him over to you. But if he causes anymore trouble, we won't be so lenient. I'll call the station and tell them."

He pulled Skye up and handed his restraints to Vaughn, both of them snickering. The officer laughed. "You're in for a good one, Skye!" he said, climbing into his cruiser. As he drove away, Vaughn heaved Skye up and dragged him through the cold mud towards the barn. As Skye shivered from the cold, Vaughn smirked. "You know, Phantom, you shouldn't have put me up to the challenge."

Vaughn used his free hand to unlock the barn, still keeping his other hand gripped tightly on Skye's restraints. They entered the farmhouse. Inside, the cattle and horses slept peacefully in their stalls, quietly awaiting morning. The two made their way to the very end of the barn. They stopped in front of the last stall; a broken, worn out pen, filled with old, dried out fodder and chipping walls.

Vaughn pushed the delinquent inside, walking in after him. Skye laughed. "Stables aren't really my thing. I'd prefer at least a 2-bedroom, 2-bath apartment, can we see some other lots?"

"Wise ass…"

Skye's stomach growled and he sighed, wishing he had eaten his masterpiece from before. "Starving? Let me help you…" Vaughn saw this as the perfect start to the boy's punishment. He ran his fingers through Skye's hair, somewhat enjoying it's softness (but he wouldn't let Skye know that), and clenched it tight, making Skye yelp out in pain. He jerked his hand upward, then plunged the thief's face into the crusted fodder. Skye coughed maliciously, the dry feed was enough to scar the skin. After a few moments Vaughn let Skye up, feeling accomplished. He locked the gate behind him as he left Skye to simmer in his stall.

As he was beginning to leave, however, something strange happened to Vaughn. Skye's stomach roared, and a soft groan escaped his lips. A sound that when it reached Vaughn's ears, it sent a shiver throughout his entire body. He warily glanced back at Skye, who had already fallen asleep, and shook any thoughts out of his head. _He's a crook, nothing more…_ Furious with himself, Vaughn headed home. "Home" being the second story room he stayed in above his dealership. He believed that since he was only one man, he didn't need a big house to stay in, so he converted one of the empty storage rooms into a simple living arrangement. It wasn't much, but he didn't care. Vaughn locked the barn door behind him, watching the moon disappear behind the dark clouds.

Vaughn always knew when there would be a storm coming. Whenever he woke up in a good mood, it always meant bad weather, and today the rancher was in a good enough mood to almost smile. Almost. He got up from his bed and stretched, looking out the window. Black, ominous clouds stretched across the sky. He figured he could get work done before the rain.

Vaughn jumped in the shower and quickly got dressed. He headed downstairs, ate some leftovers for breakfast, and started some paperwork in his office. No one else was there that day; they wouldn't be back for about a month. This was the month of the Harvest King, so most of his workers were out of the country, visiting relatives and taking part in the festivities across the globe. Vaughn hadn't been in touch with family in ages, so there was no reason for him to go anywhere. Normally the dealership would have been closed down, but Vaughn believed work was more important.

He would have totally forgotten about Skye if he hadn't taken a break to tend to the livestock. Vaughn entered the barn and made his way down the rows of animals, each one seeming happy that he had come. He had just finished replacing some food when he saw Skye's stall. When he walked over, Skye was well awake, tugging at his restraints. Vaughn unlocked the stall and pulled Skye up so his ear was close to Vaughn's mouth.

"It's going to rain today, so I'll let you use the guest room above the dealership for just this one night."

"Oh, how generous…"

"Damn straight."

Vaughn walked Skye towards the door, not expecting any of what would happen next. Skye's restraints were worn after spending half the night trying to escape. He jerked back, breaking the final strand of the ropes, and sending the cowboy flying.

They landed with a thud in the warm hay, faces inches from each other. Vaughn glared straight at Skye, who only smirked in response.

"Cowboy, you can get off me now."

Skye arched his leg and kneed Vaughn in the stomach, making him fall backwards. He coughed hard as Skye made a break for the door. Vaughn slowly reached down to his waist, taking out his secret ace in the hole.

Click

Skye stopped dead in his tracks, slowly raising his hands. Vaughn aimed the gun for Skye's head, still shaking from the attack. Throughout the Phantom's life as a world renowned thief, he had never encountered someone like Vaughn. Other victims felt that since Skye was rather young, there was no reason to attack him so aggressively. But Vaughn was different. Vaughn didn't play games. Vaughn didn't care about how young or how naïve Skye was. He was a criminal, and that was all he needed to know.

Vaughn regained his strength and stood up, keeping the gun firmly pointed at Skye's head. He crept closer, a devilish smile spreading across his face. Skye trembled. _Could he really die? Now? If he made a run for it…if he turned to attack Vaughn…would he shoot?_ For once in his life he was afraid. _Did I push the cowboy too far? _he thought.

He felt as though he had to ask. "I-Is it loaded?"

Vaughn chuckled. He slowly perched his head on Skye's shoulder, making him shudder in response. Vaughn had to admit he liked that shudder, the pulsating fear circulating throughout Skye's body. Vaughn pushed the gun through Skye's hair, touching the back of his head. His laugh kept growing darker as his finger pulled back on the trigger…

Click.

"I would have thought you were smarter than that, Phantom."

Skye dropped to his knees, panting heavily. Vaughn hid his empty gun back in his vest and grabbed the Phantom by the collar. Raindrops could already be heard pounding on the barn roof. "Hmm…it's already raining." he said as he hoisted up and dragged the empty shell of a Phantom towards the dealership.

Skye tried to shake the day's incident out of his mind as he sat on the bed in the small spare room. It was kind of cramp for his taste, but anything was better than the barn. The morning replayed in his head, over and over. "Why did I lose my cool?" he whispered. _I would have never been so nervous if another person did such a thing, why…Him? _He quickly snapped out of his trance when he heard a knock at his door.

The door opened and Vaughn stepped inside. "Hey…"

Skye seemed to regain his old self when he saw Vaughn. A powerful glare shot from his crimson eyes. "Oh, you again?

"Even convicts have to eat, you know."

There was a long pause as the two eyed each other. Skye became enraged with Vaughn's calm demeanor, as if nothing had happened that morning. He wanted to bring down that arrogant cowboy. From his mouth spewed something that he would soon regret deeply later on.

"You know, you're a disappointment. Everyone is afraid to come near you, and you know it. The only reason you asked to house me was because you're so desperate for another human being close to you. Every day you hide out in your office, don't you? You ignore the outside because it's afraid of you…and you're afraid of it, aren't you? You put on a tough face, but you're really nothing inside. No one wants anything to do with Vaughn. What a pity, really."

Skye was utterly proud of himself for making a comeback. He smirked and the cowboy and waited for a defeated expression to cover his face. However, nothing of the sort came. Vaughn looked the same, everything…except the eyes. His amethyst eyes had a new look to them. A look that belonged to the devil himself. Vaughn shut the door and moved closer to Skye. He stood his ground as best he could as the silver haired cowboy towered over him.

"Maybe you're right, and maybe…"

He seized Skye by the throat and pushed him down on the bed, making him cough vigorously. "Maybe you're just a stuck-up brat who needs to be taught a lesson." Vaughn laughed as Skye tried to push him off, yelling at him. "G-Get off! Stop!" he screamed, as Vaughn began to unbutton Skye's silver vest, exposing his black undershirt. He threw the vest on the floor, and proceeded to rip off the black shirt, tearing the fabric into two pieces that easily slipped of Skye's now bare chest.

"A-Ah! Hey stop!" Skye tried his hardest to get a hit on Vaughn. He thought he could send Vaughn reeling back with a good hit, but it was no use. It felt as though Vaughn was absorbing every ounce of strength Skye had before. He felt completely helpless as he repeatedly pounded on Vaughn's chest.

"I don't think you want me to stop. I think you like what I'm doing."

Vaughn took both of Skye's wrists in one hand and pressed them against the bedpost; the other hand reaching for the rope that he always carried in his belt, no matter what. He wrapped the strong rope around Skye's wrists and the bedpost and smiled down at his overpowered demeanor.

As Skye hopelessly tugged at his new restraints, Vaughn proceeded to undress himself. He took off his hat and tossed it in a corner, along with his shoes, socks and vest. His own black undershirt came next, which he heaved over his head and tossed carelessly aside, and his belt, which slid easily through the loops of his jeans. Finally the pants, and Skye's face turned dark red and he turned away. He heard the garments hit the floor as Vaughn regained his place on the bed. He hovered over the Phantom, smiling.

"Are you ready?"

"W-What?!"

Vaughn began to run his fingers through Skye's hair as he dipped down to seize the Phantom's ear. Skye gasped in surprise. "Stop, stop! I don't want…any of…nngh!"

Vaughn slipped his tongue into Skye's ear, repeatedly circling the outside. Skye continued to protest, all the while trembling with every touch. It was a new sensation for him. He had been with some women before, but this was a man. An aggressive, powerful one at that. He felt incredibly weak, but something else was stirring inside him. Skye's legs twisted from this new sensation.

Vaughn slowly dragged his wet tongue down from Skye's ear to his neck. He nipped at it before giving it a sharp bite. Skye tried to break away, the sharp rope cutting deeper into his skin with every movement. He cried out, losing his control little by little.

"A-Ahh! Please…don't!"

He couldn't believe the word "please" came from him. He felt pathetic, begging for his freedom.

Vaughn moaned softly into Skye's neck. His wet organ glided further down, and where he had played with Skye, a purplish mark appeared.

His nipples were next. Vaughn's tongue flicked at the left bud, while his hand moved down from the Phantom's hair to the other nipple. He chuckled as the soft skin grew harder between his fingers.

Skye couldn't help but moan at this feeling. Did he really like what was happening to him? No, it wasn't right for him. This was Phantom Skye, the famous master thief, and now he was being dominated by this bastard? No. Not at all. But…he couldn't stop what was happening in him. He felt defeated, disgusted with himself.

"Nnn…gah!"

"Do you like this, Phantom?"

"N-No!" Yes. He did.

Vaughn laughed. He wanted to see the Phantom squirm in ecstasy, to reel and arch at his very touch. And Vaughn would make sure he got his way. He slowly reached down, still focusing half his attention on one nipple, and gracefully unbuttoned Skye's pants. He slid his hand in them. Skye cried out as Vaughn played with the tip of his throbbing member through his underwear.

That new sensation was growing stronger with every touch. Every touch, every lick, every moan it grew. Skye felt his entire body shake when Vaughn pulled off his pants and underwear, exposing his pulsating length covered with sweat and precum. Vaughn couldn't help but groan at the sight, his own organ dripping with excitement.

He breathed hot air onto Skye. "Do you want me to?"

Skye could only moan.

"I'll take that as a yes."

_No! No this isn't what I want! Stop!_ Skye wanted to shout, to scream. His body was no longer listening to him. It did what it wanted, and it wanted Vaughn to wrap his lips around his length, telling him that by arching fast when Vaughn kissed the tip. A thin sheet of sweat began to form on both men, Skye's just a little more. Vaughn began to engulf Skye's member, shaking with anticipation. He arched up, sending himself deeper into Vaughn's mouth. "Ugh…mmm…nyah!" Skye thrust repeatedly into Vaughn's mouth. Drool slipped from his mouth as he moaned louder, sweat now dripping from his head. His entire body turned red in a fervor of pleasure, completely forgetting his indifference in the beginning. His release was imminent

Vaughn worked his tongue over the Phantom's member, driving Skye over the edge. With one last thrust Skye came, crying out in ecstasy. He poured his seed into Vaughn's mouth, and Vaughn slowly slid off of his organ. Skye could only watch in horror and excitement at what Vaughn was doing next. They weren't done, not by a long shot.

With one hand Vaughn untied the rope, and Skye's wrists fell limply on the bed. He knew Skye wasn't going to run away; for one, he was too exhausted to move, and second, he knew Skye would like this.

Vaughn drenched his hand in Skye's semen and proceeded to turn Skye over on his stomach. He buried his face in the pillow; he didn't want Vaughn to see the look on his face. "P-Please…no more…"

Vaughn looked playfully surprised. "Why? This'll be fun, I promise."

"No! I don't want this anymore!"

"So, you wanted it before, hm?"

"No! That's not what I-"

Vaughn rubbed his soaked fingers around Skye's entrance before inserting one. The pain was overwhelming, and Skye screamed out, trying to move away from the finger. Vaughn brought Skye closer, shoving another digit into his tight warm entrance. Skye clenched his eyes and fists shut. He felt something wet and salty on the pillow. _Tears? I'm…crying?_ He closed his eyes tighter as Vaughn began to scissor him, making the entrance a little wider. He could feel the tears forming in the corner of his eyes, falling down his cheeks. He was crying, and there was nothing he could do.

The rain grew heavier and pounded against the windowpane as the sky grew darker. It seemed to grow darker with every movement Vaughn made. One last stretch and Vaughn pulled out his fingers. Skye relaxed a bit, still keeping his eyes closed. When he thought it was over, Vaughn was just beginning.

Vaughn rubbed the excess semen over his eager length, wanting to get into Skye as soon as possible. He pressed the tip of his member to Skye's prepped entrance, then drove it hard into the Phantom. Skye cried out in utter turmoil. "Aah! No more! P-Please…I cant take it…"

Vaughn pounded hard into the weakened man. He leaned over Skye's back and whispered in his ear. "Well, I never knew the notorious Phantom Skye was so easy to dominate…"

Skye shuddered. It was true. Vaughn had won. He just wanted it to stop now. The pain was too much. "No! Stop!"

Vaughn repeatedly thrust inside him, groaning as his organ pushed in and out of Skye. 'Don't worry, you'll feel something good soon."

And he was right. Vaughn pounded Skye's sweet spot, making him moan a sweet cry. Vaughn paused.

"Well?"

Skye mumbled a response.

"I can't hear you."

"I…want…"

"You want what?"

"I…want more…"

Vaughn chuckled. "What a dirty little slut you are, Phantom!"

Skye started to believe it. He was a dirty slut, enjoying being raped by this man. Vaughn slammed into Skye's sweet spot over and over. He moved his hand forward and grabbed hold of Skye's member, needing attention.

"Ahh! Y-Yes!"

"Mmm…feel good?"

"So good…"

"I thought you'd like it…"

Vaughn kept in time with his movements as Skye followed, drowning in the pleasure Vaughn was so good at giving. His cries grew louder and more high-pitched as both men were nearing their release. Skye came first, screaming Vaughn's name and spilling his seed over Vaughn's hand. The hot sensation sent Vaughn coming too, giving a soft moan as he felt himself filling Skye.

The two stayed in their positions for awhile before collapsing on the small bed. The sheets were soaked with sweat and semen, but they didn't care. Skye shivered as Vaughn's semen seeped out of him. The strange sensation was dying down in both of them, and a strong desire to sleep overtook them. They lay in awkward silence for a minute, then Skye closed his eyes, completely ignoring Vaughn. Vaughn closed his eyes as well, but played with Skye's hair before falling into sleep.


	2. Forgetful

Skye woke with a start when his face met a cold gust of air. He shot up fast, a little too fast, and slumped back down in a daze. He noticed the window was open, but was too sore to close it.

Why was he so sore? He tried to figure it out, but couldn't remember what exactly he did to make him feel so exhausted.

_Hmm…well, I was in that filthy stable, that bastard cowboy pretended to shoot me, then he dragged me in this room, and…?_

His stomach growled, and he couldn't very well think on an empty stomach. Since apparently he was a prisoner here, Skye figured his warden would bring him some breakfast. After waiting a couple minutes, the sleepy silver-haired boy slowly slinked down the stairs to raid the kitchen…or at least ask for some food.

He peered into the kitchen to find Vaughn sitting at the table, enjoying nothing but coffee and the newspaper. He glanced up at Skye, who was warily looking at the fridge.

Vaughn shrugged. "Help yourself."

Skye practically jumped at the chance. He looked through the fridge and reached for some eggs when he noticed his wrists were incredibly red. He stepped back to look, groaning at the pain from every step.

"Are you sore?" Vaughn smirked behind his cup.

"Nngh…" Skye thought it best not to answer Vaughn. He didn't need his crap so early in the morning.

He jumped when he felt hot breath on his neck, as strong hands slid down and captured his waste, bringing Skye closer to his tormentor.

"You were really good last night…"

"E-Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"What are you talking about, dumbass?" Skye growled. He didn't want anything to do with Vaughn. "And get the hell off of me."

Vaughn chuckled. He got a whimper out of Skye when his hand moved further down and pinched his ass, then a gasp when that hand moved forward and roughly grabbed Skye's crotch.

"Don't remember? Let me help you. I believe your exact words were, 'Ahh…so good…more, please…'

Skye shuddered. He felt sick to his stomach. _Did I do what I think I did…with…__**him?**_ He shook his head violently. No that couldn't be true, it just couldn't be. The notorious Phantom Skye would never fall prey to _this_ man.

"Don't believe me, huh? That's alright, I'll have more fun this way."

Vaughn reached up to nibble at Skye's ear, while his hand seemed to have a mind of its own as it buried past Skye's underwear and tortured him. He took one finger and dragged it up and down Skye's member, playing with the tip and earning gasps and growls from Skye, slowly growing harder.

Skye gritted his teeth, trying to suppress the sounds of pleasure from escaping his mouth, but couldn't. "Just relax, isn't this good?" Vaughn whispered, sharply grabbing Skye's length. Skye tossed his head back and rested it on Vaughn's shoulder, panting furiously as Vaughn pumped him.

"Ahh! Nngh!" That strange sensation was pooling up inside him again, ready to burst. Sweat formed on Skye's brow, his moans growing higher in pitch. His hips started to rock, giving him the further friction he so desperately craved.

"Ahhh! I…I'm…!"

A deep groan escaped Skye's throat as he came, overflowing with that sensation that made his entire body shiver. He was face to face with Vaughn, but could only make out his eyes through the fog of pleasure.

Vaughn smirked, releasing his grip on Skye and licking the dripping semen off his fingers. Skye turned away; his face red with ecstasy, but his mind overflowing with shame. He remembered everything now; the rope, the tears, …and how he begged Vaughn for more.

Skye kept his eyes on the floor as he ignored his rumbling stomach and walked past Vaughn back toward his room. Locking the door behind him, he slumped down onto the floor. Skye needed time to think, but his mind was clouded by the picture of those intense violet eyes he was lost in only a moment ago. He rested his head on his knee. _This is going to be hell…_he thought.

Skye groaned when a ray of sunlight hit his face. When he came to, his head was pounding, and he noticed that he had fallen asleep on the floor. Skye sat up; it wasn't cloudy anymore, meaning he must have been out for at least a half hour.

He stood up, slowly this time, and clutched his stomach. Skye decided to risk any abuse to get anything to eat, and stepped outside his door, only to have a waft of a delicious smell hit his face.

Next to his feet was a tray overflowing with delicious food. Skye practically drooled at the sight; hot, fluffy pancakes topped with maple syrup, with fresh eggs and fruit. He couldn't believe it; a mouthwatering gift from above! Skye wiped his mouth and quickly pulled the tray inside, sitting down and taking the first bite.

"This food's amazing!" he grinned. Being on the run, Skye only ate the foods he could cook for himself…being curry. Unfortunately, most of the time he didn't have the tools to make it. This was the best meal he'd had in ages.

He had just finished the last bite when he heard a knock at his door. Skye refused to respond, and turned away as soon as his tormentor stepped inside.

Vaughn stared at the empty tray. "Glad you liked it."

Skye kept his eyes fixated on the floor as if it were truly fascinating. Vaughn moved closer to him and sat on the bed. "Turn this way." he commanded.

Skye hesitated, but kept his eyes on the floor. Vaughn growled, grabbing Skye's neck and turning his head forcefully. Skye turned red with anger, glaring at Vaughn intensely.

Vaughn's eyes relaxed, and he moved in closer to Skye. Their lips were less than inches apart. Vaughn slipped his tongue out and dragged it slowly up Skye's neck to his cheek, earning a slight groan from him. "You had some syrup left on you…"

"Ah…ah…" was Skye's only response.

Vaughn took this opportunity to capture Skye's mouth, plunging his soft yet strong tongue down Skye's throat. They fell onto the bed; the tray crashing to the floor. Vaughn slipped a hand under Skye's t-shirt, gently rubbing his nipple through all his fingers. Skye gasped hard, arching his back, his face turning bright red.

He tried to break away. "Nngh…mmph…no…enough…" His moans of protest were soon replaced by moans of absolute pleasure as Vaughn pulled off Skye's shorts, starting to play with his begging length.

"Ah…y-yes!" He couldn't help but notice the sinister smile Vaughn had on his face. He chuckled as he let go of Skye and sat up, utterly pleased at the look of disbelief on his face.

"N-No…"

"Now, if you beg me, I might consider giving you the release you're wanting so badly…"

"Nngh…" Skye couldn't help it. His burning length, how Vaughn's rough hands grabbed him, the shivering pulses sent throughout his body, he wanted it now. He would do whatever it took to get what he wanted so much right now; it was toying with him, that sensation that took hold of Skye and made him weak to get what he desired. And he finally realized what that sensation was:

That sensation was Vaughn.

"Please…please! I-I…!"

"Yes?" Vaughn rested his hand on Skye's member once again.

"I need it! N-Now…!"

"That's what I like to hear…" Vaughn began to take off Skye's shirt, then his own clothes. This time Skye watched, drinking in the smooth features of the other man. He winced at the thought of being penetrated again, and tried to explain. "I…I didn't mean…this way…"

"Too late. If you really want it, then you won't care how you get it, now will you, Phantom?"

Skye started to protest when Vaughn planted a firm kiss on his lips again. He rushed a hand to Skye's crotch, rubbing fiercely, rolling Skye around in his hand. Skye tossed his head and groaned, lost again in that fog of deep pleasure coursing through his body.

"Ahhh! Nngh…unh…yes!" Vaughn lifted Skye's legs, slipping two fingers into his tight entrance. Skye flinched, turning and moving to get away from the pain.

Vaughn was growing impatient. "Stop avoiding the inevitable." He started to scissor Skye, making him scream out in pain.

"I-It hurts!"

"And here I thought you'd be used to this by now…pathetic."

"Please…p-please…some…"

Vaughn knew what he wanted. "Fine then." He reached down into his pocket and pulled out a small tube. He spread the lubricant over his own pulsating length, and the excess over Skye's entrance, pushing his moist finger in and out of him.

"Mmm…" Skye seemed to relax when he felt the cool lubricant.

"Get ready." Vaughn warned as he pressed his tip to Skye's opening before quickly plunging inside him. Skye suppressed another yell, trying to adjust to Vaughn inside him, rubbing against his sides.

Vaughn gave Skye time to recover before moving again. He started out slowly, trying to find his sweet spot. Skye moaned a soft cry, pushing back on Vaughn's member and grabbing the bed sheets, furiously jerking at them. Vaughn smirked and picked up speed.

"Touch yourself…" he demanded.

Skye slowly moved his hand from the sheets to his neglected length, enjoying the feel of himself before heatedly pumping his member. He was so close…Vaughn running through him…it was so good, almost unbearable…

"Ahhh! V-Va…nngh…"

"Say it, Phantom…"

"Ahhhhh! Vaughn!" Skye cried out in utter ecstasy as he went over the edge, spilling his seed over his hand. The expression of pleasure on Skye's face sent Vaughn following, sending his head back and filling the Phantom.

Skye gasped softly as Vaughn pulled out of him. He immediately stood up and put on his clothes, staring at his plaything sprawled ever so enticingly on the bed. He smirked, walking towards the door.

"You should really get up, no use staying in bed all day."


	3. Worn Out

Skye awoke in a daze, his body aching at his little escapade just a few hours ago. He looked around the room, taking in the fact that he was still in this hellhole, still in the place where everything had changed for him. Standing up slowly, the silver haired young man winced a bit at the sudden spark of pain that rushed through his body. He noticed that the room had been cleaned up since last time. "At least he doesn't _live_ in a barn."

His attention turned to a small piece of paper on the nightstand below the window. Skye examined it more closely; it was a note written on...frilly pink stationary? _Is he making fun of me?_ Skye growled as he unfolded the paper and skimmed over the note.

_Skye_

_There are some things I want you to finish by the end of the day:_

_Dust the baseboards_

_Clean the office_

_Mop the floors_

_There's something I left you to wear while you clean so your clothes won't get dirty._

"T-That...prick!" Skye yelled out in disgust. "I'm not his damn maid!" He looked around, trying to find his work clothes. Moving to the closet, he threw the doors open, staring dumbfounded at what he saw. Inside was a short, black French maid's dress, pure white lace around each trim. The waist was tight with ruffles tumbling down to the skirt. Skye could see the bust was fake, filled with cotton implants that looked somewhat larger than he would have liked. On the hanger were a pair of fishnet stockings, black roses decorating the tops, and at the bottom of the closet, black suede stilettos. The painful irony of it all!

Skye grimaced, feeling like he wanted to puke. He was _not_ wearing such an atrocity. Or at least..he thought, before he read the final part of the note.

_I'll treat you to something special if you finish everything._

_ Vaughn_

He couldn't say no to that offer...

So at his tormenter's command, Skye donned the black, frilly garment. He wasn't sure how to put it on first, but once he slipped into it, it fit perfectly to his body, which only disgusted the man more. Then came the stockings and the shoes, that also seemed to fit quite easily. "At least there's no bonnet."

Skye felt something poking at his side from within the dress. He reached in and pulled out something white and soft. He really needed to learn to stop talking with so much irony afoot.

Angrily sliding the bonnet on his head and tying the ends below his chin, Skye turned around and looked at himself in the mirror. He couldn't believe how much he looked like an actual girl. "Well..." Skye said to himself. "Let's get this over with."

He decided to take care of the baseboards first, heading downstairs to the broom closet to find a duster. Skye looked for minutes trying to find one, unfortunately all that turned up was a cliche feather duster that he was sure Vaughn had planted there on purpose. "Damn that cowboy..."

Exiting the closet, Skye glanced out the nearby window. He spied Vaughn heading to the barn with a rather large, musclebound bull, secured by a rope. The bull sported a pure black hide, with ivory white horns atop its head, ready to use them at any moment's notice. Suddenly the monster began to jerk, the rope flying out of Vaughn's hands instantly. The raging bull bucked and kicked, swinging its horns like a swordsman his blade, and just as deadly. Vaughn ducked, running toward the bull and quickly taking hold of the rope again, giving it a sharp tug. The bull had no choice but to calm itself, submitting to its captor with a huff. They continued to walk to the barn.

_Impressive, cowboy._ Skye thought, then remembered what he was supposed to do. He started in the hallway, disgusted by how much dust had collected in every corner. "Jeez, does he even consider cleaning? This is ridiculous!" Bending over, Skye could feel the dress riding up, showing off his supple legs. The stockings curved with his body, making his underwear seem like ladies' panties. "T-That...perv." Skye muttered, his face a dark red.

After a few minutes, Skye stood up and stretched, admiring his work. The once clouded baseboards now shined brightly and even showed a reflection. "I'd like to see even the most renowned housekeeper pull off something like that!" He exclaimed, although he wasn't really sure why he was proud...

Oh well, on to the office. Skye grabbed the vacuum cleaner and the duster and moved to Vaughn's office. It was a small, cramped room with a large, mahogany desk, bookcase, and one chair. "How can anyone do any sort of work in here?" Skye asked out loud.

He plugged in the vacuum and started it up, zooming across the room rather quickly. The vacuum cleaner knocked against the desk, and some documents spilled over. "Damn." Skye cursed and this time knelt down so that his dress wouldn't ride up. As he reached behind the trashcan, Skye spotted multitudes of small, multicolored papers in it. He pulled one out and examined it; it looked like a woman's handwriting. He pulled out the rest, all love notes from women that Vaughn knew, employed, or had just met. Apparently the cowboy was rather popular.

Skye scowled and threw the notes on the ground with a huff. He took the vacuum cleaner and sucked them up quickly. Wait...why was he so mad?

"Augh! Whatever!" Skye groaned and started on dusting the bookshelf, desk, and chair. Standing on his tiptoes to reach the top of the shelf, if anyone were to walk in they would be instantly taken aback by Skye's small waist and tight backside in the dress, stockings flattering his legs beautifully.

Once he was done, Skye returned the duster and the vacuum cleaner to the broom closet and brought out the mop. "One last chore, then I'm done!" Skye beamed, wiping some sweat from his brow. His face was red from the work; he had never done house cleaning before, but he was surprised at how simple it seemed, yet taxing it was.

Skye pushed the mop and bucket into the kitchen. He filled the bucket with water and looked under the sink for cleaner. Pulling out a white bottle, Skye poured some of the liquid into the bucket, grimacing at the strong smell. He set the bucket down on the floor and mixed the concoction with the mop, hovering over it like a witch and her cauldron. He laughed at the thought, remembering the cartoon witches he would see when he was a child. "Bubble bubble, toil and trouble..." Skye laughed again, before he got back to work.

As he rung out the mop and pressed it to the floor, the phone rang. "Oh damn, what _great_ timing!" Skye growled as he answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Vaughny-poo!"

"Gah!" Skye dropped the phone at the shrill, high pitched, all-too-girly voice. He regained his composure and picked up the phone again. "H-Hello..?"

"Vaughny-poo! I'm so glad to hear from you! How have you been? Omg have you reconsidered yet? I-"

Skye interrupted before the spazzy girl could go on. "E-Excuse me..?"

"Oh, oh! You're not Vaughny-poo! Who's this?"

"This is-" Skye thought for a moment, he didn't think it was a good idea to reveal his name at the moment. "His...brother." The silver haired man shivered at his response. Why anyone would want to be that stuck up, Broke back Mountain reject's brother was _beyond_ him.

"Oh. Well, can I speak to Vaughny?"

"I guess...Hold on."

Skye let the phone hang down, then walked over to the window again. Outside Vaughn was letting out a couple of the horses. He seemed especially fond of a jet black Arabian colt, climbing on its back. It seemed to Skye that Vaughn was testing the horse. He rode it around the ranch a couple times, petting its long mane. After a bit Vaughn slipped off the horse and grabbed a brush, starting to brush the horse. Skye could see the gentleness that Vaughn put into taking care of his animals. It made his heart warm to the man. It took Skye a while to remember that the woman was still on the phone.

Running back to the kitchen, Skye picked up the phone again. "He's busy."

"Oh darn! Well, will you tell him that Lanna called? It's uber important!"

Skye twitched. "S-Sure."

"Yay! Thanks, Vaughny-poo's brother! Bye bye!"

Skye hung up the phone, rubbing his temples as the girl's voice gave him a splitting headache. Returning to the task at hand, Skye finished up the floor, amazed that he didn't slip and fall once in those stilettos.

Skye looked at the clock; it was getting rather late. He could see the sunset's light dimly coming in through the window. He decided to fix some dinner for him and Vaughn, after all, he might get alittle more of a reward if he did so.

Skye managed to fix up some curry and rice for the two of them, making sure he didn't mess up his beautiful floors. He set the dinner on the counter and went to get Vaughn.

Walking out the back to the ranch, Skye looked around and found Vaughn under a tree. "Vaughn, Dinner's ready. I finished-" Skye stopped when he saw Vaughn up close.

Vaughn was sitting in a wicker chair, head tilted to the side. His violet eyes were shut in a deep slumber as his chest rose and fell with slow, steady motions. The man's hands rested easy on the armrests, and Skye felt a shiver go up his spine when Vaughn's mouth gaped open slightly.

Skye felt himself moving closer to the man, curiosity growing with each step. He had never seen the man with his guard down, and it was truly a sight. A light shade of red spread over Skye's face as he found himself only centimeters away from Vaughn's lips. In a heated daze, Skye gently pressed his lips to Vaughn's, eyes fluttering shut as his hand went to Vaughn's hair, knocking his hat off and onto the ground. Vaughn remained asleep as Skye captured his mouth, his tongue only daring to go as far as around his lips. He kissed him for awhile; enjoying the feel of Vaughn's silk-like hair between his fingers, and the heat around his tongue. Skye's heart raced and breath hitched; he figured he should break away before Vaughn noticed. Parting lips, Skye looked at Vaughn hesitantly. He was still asleep, nothing had changed.

Skye sighed, smiling as he watched the man. He wasn't sure what he was feeling, but it was...nice.

_Sweet dreams, cowboy._

**A/N: Hey~ Sorry for not updating for like...a year and something.**

**I had to rework up the courage to write this. This is my first fanfic afterall. But thanks to my friends I can write much more.**

**Shoutout to Nicole and Amanda 3 I love you guys.**


	4. Lanna

The next morning went rather smoothly for Skye. The night before, he had heard Vaughn enter the house and head to his room without a word. If Vaughn had known what happened that day, he would have made Skye pay for it dearly, teasing and torturing him in a heated battle of sex and lust. But no such situation arose, and Skye had gotten up and dressed with no interruptions.

Skye had just walked downstairs when he saw Vaughn exiting his office. His body froze for a second, but relaxed when he remembered that the cowboy _did_ have a soft side, and he got to see it.

Vaughn looked at Skye with a blank expression. "I'm heading to the stores for a bit. I trust you'll be alright on your own?" What he really meant was he trusted that the Phantom wouldn't escape, because Vaughn was _very_ capable of hunting him down to his last breath.

Skye nodded, hands in his pockets. "Sure sure. I'll be fine."

"Good." Vaughn said as he headed to the door, pulling out his wallet and checking to see how much money he had. "And by the way. I'm expecting...company. So if I'm not back in time, I expect you to keep her entertained and out of trouble."

_Her..? He doesn't mean..._

"She...might have called yesterday. Anyway, I'm off. Later."

Vaughn left without another word, and Skye shrugged off the idea of company. He went to the fridge and grabbed breakfast: A glass of milk and some toast with strawberry jam. Sitting at the table, he munched away peacefully, enjoying the quiet atmosphere.

As soon as he finished, Skye heard a knock at the door. "Who could that be at _this_ hour?" Skye asked, groaning as he opened the door.

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around Skye's neck in a tight embrace, sending both bodies to the floor. Skye yelped out in pain when he hit the hard linoleum. "Ouch! Goddammit! What the hell?"

"Oh! I'm sorry! I thought you were Vaughny!"

Skye looked at the woman in his arms, a blush spreading across his face. She was dressed in green and white garb that showed off her big, brown eyes. Her long blond hair slipped over her shoulders and tumbled down her back, bangs hanging adorably in front of her face. She wore a cute green and black headband, a ribbon tied at each end.

"You must be the company that Vaughn was talking about..."

"Yep! I'm Lanna! Pleased to meet you!"

"Great. Could you get off me now?" Skye said with a low growl, raising to his feet once Lanna got up. He dusted himself off (like there was any dust, he just mopped that floor yesterday) and stared daggers at Lanna.

Lanna completely ignored his glare. "So, where's Vaughny?" She asked, making herself comfortable when no one offered and sat down at the table.

"Vaughny-" Skye cleared his throat, holding back a laugh. "Vaughn went to the store for a bit."

"Oh I remember your voice! You're Vaughny-poo's brother! What was your name?"

Skye grimaced at the thought again. _I would never want to be his brother. _"Um...S-Skye." He stuttered, hoping that Lanna didn't recognize his name.

"Skye..."

Skye's body froze. He swallowed hard and thought about running.

"Nice name! It's so chic! Just rolls off the tongue!"

Skye relaxed and took a seat, trying to calm his nerves. "Um, thanks."

They sat in silence for awhile; Skye watching the clock and Lanna watching the door in hopes that Vaughn would come in soon. After awhile, Skye broke the silence.

"So um...what did you want to ask Vaughn about?"

Lanna's eyes brightened as though she was hoping Skye would ask. She began to talk, fast..._very_ fast. "Oh yes! I wanted to ask him if I could use some of his animals for a couple days! I'm going to be hosting a big, _big_ parade to celebrate the Harvest King, and I wanted to ride in on a beautiful horse, with tons of animals around me! It'll be great! Omg! I hope he says yes, because he's a rather gloomy gus ya know? He wouldn't say yes the first five times I asked him, so I thought, sixth time's the charm! And just to sweeten the pot, I put alittle stuffing into my bra-"

"Alright! I get it!" Skye stopped the ditzy girl before she could continue with what _else_ she did to her person.

At that moment, the two heard the door open as Vaughn walked in, carrying a couple of bags. Lanna immediately shot up and almost took him to the floor in a bear hug. Skye grabbed the bags before Vaughn could drop them and put them on the counter.

"Lanna, please get off of me."

Lanna did as she was asked, but kept a grip on Vaughn's hand. "Oh Vaughny-poo! Thanks for letting me come over!"

Vaughn huffed. "You would have came anyway."

Lanna let out a childish giggle and tugged at his arm. "So...have you thought about it?"

Vaughn rolled his eyes, glancing at Skye with a look that seemed to apologize for leaving her here with him, and the phantom could see why.

Vaughn led Lanna to his office, and Skye took the liberty of putting some of the things Vaughn purchased away. He saw that Vaughn had picked up...curry and rice? Vaughn must have liked the dinner that Skye prepared if he had bought more ingredients...

Skye heard Vaughn's voice rise and fall, and Lanna's voice got louder. After awhile, they both calmed down and Skye couldn't hear their conversation anymore. Turning his attention back to the bags, he found something in a white box, taped shut. Not sure where to put it, and not wanting to open it, Skye walked to the back and stood at the door as the two finished their conversation.

"I'm not letting you use my animals for some idiotic parade. They're meant for farm life, not showbiz. Just ask Chelsea. She'll let you borrow some of her animals for the occasion."

"Oh you're a genius Vaughny! Thank you!" Lanna jumped up happily, wrapping her arms around Vaughn once more and doing the unthinkable:

She kissed Vaughn, straight on the lips. It was a kiss that Lanna hummed happily in, and caught Vaughn by surprise, though his facial expression didn't show it.

Skye dropped the box, staring at the two in shock.

_She didn't._

_She couldn't have._

_She..! She's..a..!_

"Whore!" Skye screamed out in a blind fury, his fists clenched at his sides. The two looked at Skye in shock, and Skye ran as fast as he could, a deep blush on his face.

Skye headed for the stairs, hearing feet behind him. No doubt it was Vaughn. The footsteps grew closer as Skye reached for the door to his room. An arm thrust in front of him quickly, slamming against the wall. Vaughn stood before the man, slamming his other hand on the other side of Skye so that he had nowhere to run.

Vaughn glared at Skye, violet eyes penetrating his very soul with fear. "You will apologize to Lanna for your little outburst." He spoke in a deep and nerve-wracking growl.

Skye stood tall, afraid but bold. "I will not! She is what she is! A wh-"

Vaughn planted a firm kiss on the Phantom's lips, one much more deep and lustful than the one Lanna had given him. He plunged his tongue down Skye's throat, licking every inch of that wet cavern. He pressed his body to Skye's, grinding his hips at a slow pace so Skye could feel his hardness. Vaughn smirked in the kiss when he felt Skye growing hard himself.

They broke the kiss, Skye panting heavily as his body shook with anticipation and need. He stared longingly at Vaughn, yet Vaughn kept the same hateful expression on his face. Vaughn grabbed Skye's pants and jerked him close, undoing them and pulling them down swiftly with his underwear. Skye winced when his cock was exposed to the air, and watched as Vaughn undid his own pants and pulled them down. Forceful hands on the younger man's waist, Vaughn lifted Skye up against the wall, and Skye had no choice to but to wrap his legs around Vaughn's waist to steady himself.

"An awfully bad mouth on you Phantom." Vaughn said with a sly grin, thrusting up quickly into Skye with everything he had.

"Ahh..! Nngh..!" Skye tightened around Vaughn in response, hands gripping the man's shoulders. The sharp pain he had felt when Vaughn drove into him was soon replaced with sheer pleasure. Once Vaughn was inside him completely, he started to push and pull fast, the heat from Skye's body encircling his throbbing length. He gritted his teeth to keep himself from moaning out.

"O-Oh y-yes..! Please more.!" And that was the cue. Vaughn changed to an agonizingly slow pace, making Skye push down in an attempt to make him move faster. Vaughn though stayed at the same speed.

"F-Faster..."

Vaughn pretended not to hear Skye. He grinned as he leaned up to lick at Skye's neck, tracing long, wet trails over the skin, biting just enough to leave small marks.

Wave after wave of pleasure filled Skye. He wanted more, demanded it. It was too much; he wanted Vaughn's hard, long cock to ravage him and send him reeling with ecstasy. But he was being teased, taunted with such slow movements that seemed to happen almost years apart to the man.

"Faster..! Faster!"

"Hmm?" Vaughn asked, biting down on Skye's neck sharply.

"P-Please, faster!"

"Not until you say you'll apologize to Lanna."

Skye shook his head violently in response. "N-Never..."

Vaughn let out a deep chuckle. He liked it when Skye put up a fight like this. Taking one hand off Skye's waist, he grabbed Skye's cock roughly and gave it quick, short strokes. Skye gasped, clenching tighter around Vaughn as his member throbbed painfully in Vaughn's hand. The Phantom was dying to be pounded more, driven against the wall in a mad frenzy of sweat and cum. He was so close, yet so far from such a thing...

"A-Ahh! I'll..a-apologize..!"

"That's a good boy. Here's your treat." Vaughn pulled Skye closer to him, then rammed him against the wall once more, shoving all of his pulsating length into the trembling Phantom. "It's funny, you look like the whore now..." Vaughn purred in Skye's ear, giving longer strokes to his needy member. He pounded hard against Skye's sweetspot, groaning softly as the heat enveloping his length ran through his entire body and sent a familiar sensation pooling inside him.

"Nngh..! I'm c-coming Vaughn!" Skye cried out as he reached his peak. White, hot cum splashed against Vaughn's hand and the wall, as well as both their shirts. Skye's body shivered violently, his eyes filled with lust as he watched himself spill his essence over Vaughn.

He watched Vaughn continue to pound into him, after awhile feeling a thick liquid flow into him and cause him to shiver. Skye watched Vaughn's eyes shut tight and his mouth gape open some, and he blushed when he remembered Vaughn sleeping under the tree. As they came down from their orgasms, Vaughn pulled out of Skye and watched as the Phantom slid down to the ground, panting.

"Now, go clean yourself off, then go speak to Lanna." Vaughn said, glaring at Skye to show him that he was serious.

Skye was about to speak when the two heard footsteps. Looking over the railing, Skye and Vaughn saw green coattails disappear out the door without a trace.

Lanna had seen the entire thing. She was giggling all the way down the road as she headed to her hotel. "Oh well. I was never a match for Vaughny anyway!"

"Come to think of it, Vaughn never mentioned he had a brother."

**A/N: Yaaaay~ 'Nother chapter**

**I've got tons of ideas to pour into this fic. But I also have schoolwork and workwork to do. So I'll try and update when possible.**

**Nicole 3 France loves you mon amie!**


	5. The Wedding

The sun shone through the windows, flooding the Phantom's room with a soft, yellow light. Skye slept peacefully; his chest rising and falling at a slow pace. His silver hair was sprawled across his head, his face relaxed and calm. The Phantom was curled up like a child, hugging the blankets close to him. Dressed in only his black t-shirt and boxers, it was one of the only tranquil sleeps Skye had gotten in awhile, since his tormentor was _always_ near him.

Vaughn walked up the stairs to Skye's room, his face straight and void of emotion. In his hand was a tall glass of ice water, frigid to the touch. The rancher took short sips as he opened the door and strolled up to Skye. Skye shifted and turned to lay on his back, letting go of the covers as he did. Perfect.

Vaughn carefully peeled away the sheets and exposed Skye's barely clad body.

Vaughn positioned the glass over Skye's crotch.

And poured the water.

"Auuugh! Goddammit!" The Phantom shot up with a scream, jumping ten feet off the bed and falling back down, shivering violently. He pushed the ice out of his crotch and tried to wipe away the water.

"Oh good. You're awake." The taller man smirked, setting the empty glass on the nightstand. "Get up and get dressed. You're coming with me."

Skye growled. "What the hell are you talking about? Why would I-" The Phantom looked up, his eyes growing wide at Vaughn's attire. Vaughn was wearing a pitch black suit, coupled with a white dress shirt that showed off his broad, flat chest. The man had a red satin tie on, and what looked like expensive, gold cufflinks. He was minus his usual rancher hat, his hair styled neatly atop his head, and as always, his violet eyes were deep and mysterious.

Skye blushed as his eyes skimmed over Vaughn multiple times. When he looked back up, Vaughn was pointing to the chair. On it was a gray suit jacket and pants, with a white dress shirt and black tie, and black shoes that sat at the base of the chair. Skye groaned and rolled his eyes, but crawled out of bed, walking past Vaughn and grabbing the clothes as he moved to the bathroom.

"What's so important that I had to get out of bed so early?" Skye called as he started the water in the shower.

"We're going to a wedding." Vaughn answered, leaning against the bathroom door.

Skye groaned. He didn't think Vaughn would be the type to go to...weddings. And why on earth did _he_ have to come?

"So what? You want me to come as your servant or something?" Skye stepped into the shower.

Vaughn smirked. "Of course."

A loud bang echoed through both rooms as the Phantom hit the shower floor. Skye cried out in pain and anger, rubbing his backside.

"Dammit, Vaughn!"

_**/~/**_

The chapel was one of the most beautifully constructed buildings of its time. A place of worship that was almost like a palace, it's brick sides had been worn away through the years, giving it a old charm. Large, shimmering stained glass windows adorned it's walls, sporting tales of the Harvest King, the Harvest Goddess, and the Harvest Sprites. It was quite a popular place to get married, if you were lucky enough to book it.

As Vaughn and Skye walked past a crowd of people and up the stairs of the chapel, they were greeted by a cheerful blond dressed in possibly the nicest suit worn there; jet black with a red rose in the lapel, and a red tie to match. He grabbed Vaughn's hand and shook it wildly, his grin widening and his emerald eyes shimmering with excitement.

"Vaughn! Thanks for coming! It really means a lot to us!" The blond spoke in a tone that had just a hint of nervousness.

"You know I would help you two out anytime."

Skye just stood there, wondering what the two were talking about. When Vaughn realized his counterpart wasn't introduced, he turned to the silver haired man. "Skye, this is Eli, a friend of mine." He gestured to Skye. "Eli, this is Skye."

Eli grabbed Skye's hand in the same manner he did Vaughn, shaking it wildly. "Nice to meet you!"

"N-Nice to meet you, too..!" Skye shook and slipped his hand away quickly.

"Come inside guys! Fana's waiting!"

Eli led the two through the crowded foyer to the back halls, stopping at the farthest door. He knocked and when a sweet, songbird voice answered back, he opened the door and pulled the two inside.

The woman with the beautiful voice was sitting on a stool in front of the vanity, humming to herself as she brushed her long, auburn hair. Her hazel eyes reflected in the mirror, glancing over at the three men who had entered. She was adorned in luxurious jewelry; silver bracelets and earrings. But the thing that caught their attention was the amazing wedding dress she wore. It was pure white, wrapping gently around her slim body, with the bodice decorated in white pearls. Her sash was tied in a big ribbon, the tails hanging behind her.

"Fana, Vaughn's here, and this is his friend, Skye."

Fana placed her brush on the vanity and stood up, giving a small curtsey. "Hello, Vaughn. Thank you again for this." When she turned to Skye, the woman blushed deeply and couldn't help but stare into his crimson eyes. "I-It is nice to meet you, Skye."

"A pleasure, madam." Skye gave a large bow, which made Vaughn snort in disgust.

Eli laughed. "Sorry if we seem a little on edge. We're both really nervous..!"

Vaughn nodded, giving a light chuckle. "I don't see why. I've been saying you two would get together since we were in school."

_Huh, so that's why the three are so familiar..._ Skye looked back and forth between the trio as they laughed and talked about the years past. After awhile, Vaughn turned to Skye and gave a smirk hidden from the other two.

"Why don't you go get us some drinks, Skye?"

"W-What?" Skye stammered. "Why me?"

"You wouldn't make the bride and groom do it, would you? Besides, I'm busy here." Vaughn and Skye shot daggers between each other, before Skye was overpowered by the man's glare and submitted.

"Fine..." Skye walked out as Fana and Eli shared a laugh. Eli then turned to Vaughn, a hint of seriousness in his voice.

"Hey Vaughn. Can I talk to you for a moment?"

**/~/**

"Stupid idiot, I only have two hands." Skye cursed out Vaughn, trying to work out how he would carry four drinks, (Of course he got one for himself), successfully. He decided that he would have to take two at a time. So, grabbing two cups, the silver haired man walked back through the crowd and back down the hallway. As he looked for the room, Skye thought he heard Vaughn's voice and walked to the nearest door, but stopped when he only saw Eli and Vaughn inside.

"So...Vaughn." Eli began after a moment, hanging his head low. "There's something I need to get off my chest." He looked up at Vaughn. "Something I need to say, to make sure I'm not making a mistake now."

Vaughn remained silent and simply nodded. Skye's hands tensed around the cups as he waited and listened.

"I've always...well...loved you, Vaughn."

Skye pursed his lips together to stifle a gasp. Eli rambled on before Vaughn could comment.

"I-I guess it started when I first saw you in school. I w-was afraid to talk to you, but when Fana introduced us, I was really happy to meet you. I suppose I-" Eli stopped when Vaughn put his hand up, his face a bright red and Skye could see that his hands were shaking even from a distance.

Vaughn sighed, making Eli shiver. "You have cold feet, that's all."

"B-But Vaughn...I..."

"Let me tell you something." Vaughn leaned back in his chair, resting his head on his hand and never making eye contact with Eli. "You would never be happy with me, Eli. I'm not the type to make others happy. I'm not the type to show affection and longing, or simply, love. I'm less of a human being than anyone can imagine, and trust me, you need someone like Fana." He paused for a moment. "Now tell me, are you really going to throw away years of love for one ridiculous notion?"

Eli swallowed hard. He looked at the floor, then closed his eyes. After awhile, he spoke again. "No, you're right. Sorry. I really do love Fana, it just feels better getting that off my chest." The blond stood up and laughed. "Thanks, Vaughn."

Skye felt a twinge in his chest. He couldn't believe what he had heard. Not so much the confession, just...what Vaughn had said. He remembered back to when he had snapped at the man. _Did Vaughn really believe that about himself?_

When Skye heard footsteps moving closer to him, he darted into the next room and slammed the door. Letting out a sigh, he rested against the door, checking his suit to make sure he didn't spill anything on it.

"Oh, Skye..."

Skye looked up to see Fana sitting across the room, straightening her sash and jewelry. The man smiled and moved over to her, handing her a glass and setting the other down. Fana thanked him and took a drink, and Skye noticed her hands were shaking.

"Are you alright, Fana?"

"Yes..." The woman sighed, staring at her drink. "Well, no...I hope I'm not making a mistake. I love Eli, but I...think I might..."

Skye looked at Fana, somewhat worried. "Think you might what?"

Fana chuckled. "This may sound silly, since we just met, but I think I...may have feelings for you, Skye."

It took a moment for those words to reach the man, before his face turned twenty shades of red. "U-Uh..."

"Yes, I know..." Fana blushed and turned away. "But I would really like to get to know you more, Skye."

Skye took a long breath, placing a comforting hand on Fana's shoulder. "Listen, you're just nervous. Eli loves you very much, and I know you love him as well. This wedding's just put some strain on you, so you can't think straight. Think about it; it doesn't seem really rational that you would fall for me. You may just be looking for a way to escape, but if you did run away, you'd be missing out on something great."

Fana looked at Skye surprised, her hazel eyes glimmering as though they would spring tears at any moment. She wiped them, careful not to smudge her makeup, and smiled brightly. "You're right...I love Eli with all my heart." She wrapped her arms around Skye and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you."

**/~/**

With that, Skye decided to leave Fana be to compose herself before her big moment. He waved to her before exiting the room. As he did so, a strong hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him down the hallway. Skye practically yelped, quickly covering his mouth with his free hand as the figure pushed him into the bathroom.

When he looked up, Skye saw it was none other than Vaughn.

"So..." Vaughn began, taking a step closer to Skye which caused him to move a step back. "Trying to run off with the bride, eh, Phantom?

Vaughn pushed Skye to the wall, causing him to gasp loudly. The smaller man shook his head. He realized Vaughn must have overheard his and Fana's talk. "I-It was a misunderstanding!"

"I'm sure it was..." Vaughn smirked and cupped Skye's chin, licking a slow, wet trail up the man's neck. "Because I know you weren't trying to run away from me."

"A-Ah..." Skye shivered as Vaughn licked and bit at his neck. "W-Wait..." He gasped, knees growing weak at the expert mouth teasing him.

Vaughn leaned up and dipped his tongue into the Phantom's ear, making Skye mewl softly. The cowboy's hand brushed over Skye's chest and played with his perk nipples through his shirt. "Vaughn..." Skye called out, arching his back.

Vaughn's hand moved further, resting at Skye's trousers. He undid them without a second thought and pushed them down with his underwear; just enough to expose Skye's hardened length. He earned a hiss from his prey, which only made Vaughn smirk. Dropping to his knees, Vaughn grabbed Skye's throbbing cock quickly, and gave a short lick to the tip.

"Nngh!" Skye shuddered, biting his lip as he watched Vaughn. "W-What are you d-doing?"

Vaughn simply smirked wider, returning Skye's glare with devilish violet eyes. He licked over the tip more before wrapping his lips around it fully and giving hard, long sucks.

Skye's eyes shot open wide and he bucked his hips, sending more of himself into that wet, hot cavern. Vaughn had no trouble with this, he continued to work over his member, even grabbing Skye's hips and urging him to move them.

"A-Ah! Yes!"

The Phantom gripped Vaughn's hair, tugging and pulling at it, and making Vaughn moan over him. _H-Hair pulling..?_ Skye thought for a moment, but his thoughts faded quickly when a hand flew up and gripped Skye's balls. Skye gasped loudly, and Vaughn took the opportunity to relax his muscles and start to deep throat the male.

"V-Vaughn! I-I can't..!"

Vaughn didn't pay him any mind. The man's tongue flicked and caressed Skye, as his hand worked roughly underneath. Skye continued to tug at Vaughn's hair, earning more subtle moans and even teeth grinding gently over his length.

Skye whimpered and looked down at the male, drooling slightly out of the corner of his mouth. "C-Close..."

The two pairs of eyes met, crimson and violet, and Skye felt that same twinge he felt before. It fled once he felt his climax rushing through him. "F-Fuck, Vaughn!" Skye's hips shot up and he uttered a loud cry as he came, shooting white, hot liquid down Vaughn's throat.

Panting heavily, Skye threatened to fall to the floor. A strong grip on the man's shoulder stopped him, as Vaughn swallowed everything and licked his lips. "Wouldn't want your suit getting dirty..." He said coolly.

Vaughn lifted Skye up straight and tugged on his tie. "Come on, the ceremony's about to start."

**/~/**

Skye and Vaughn caught up with the rest of the crowd as they were filing into the main hall. Vaughn tapped on Skye's shoulder and pointed to the front pews. "We're up there. Go sit down and save me a spot."

"Huh?" Skye raised an eyebrow at the cowboy. "And just where will you be?"

Vaughn was already halfway down the hallway. "You'll see."

**/~/**

Skye took his place up front, saving a seat at the end of the row for Vaughn. Eli stood at the altar with the pastor, shaking, but with all the happiness in the world showing in his eyes. No doubt he was ready to marry the girl of his dreams.

The music began to play, and the procession started. First there were the flower girls, walking daintily down the aisle, spreading white flower petals. Then the bridesmaids came down, each on an arm of a groomsman. The bridesmaids wore red, slim dresses, a perfect match to the groomsmen and their black suits.

Soon everyone began to stand up, signaling that the bride was entering. Skye smiled when he saw Fana, just as beautiful as hours before, but his smile turned to utter shock when he saw just who was escorting her down the aisle.

None other than Vaughn.

Vaughn's expression was calm and collected, a polar opposite to the tearful, joyful expression on Fana's face. Skye tried to keep his mouth from gaping as Vaughn hugged Fana at the altar, then joined Skye at his seat.

"Wha-?" Skye whispered, earning a stern slap in the arm by Vaughn.

"Quiet, they're starting."

**/~/**

The ride home was one filled with an awkward silence. Skye had stayed speechless even after the reception and the goodbyes. He hadn't the nerve to ask Fana or Eli why Vaughn walked her down the aisle, but he was dying to know now.

After a moment, Skye finally spoke. "So, why-"

"Fana's mother and father passed away recently." Vaughn said quickly, his eyes still on the road. "Her father was very sick, and when he died, it put a lot of strain on her mother." His eyes narrowed, as if remembering back to that time. "They needed someone to give Fana away, and...they asked me. Of course I said yes."

"Oh..." Skye felt a blush spreading across his face. He never knew the man could actually..._care _"Wow..."

The two rode in silence again. Skye swallowed hard and managed to find the words to what he wanted to say next. "Hey, cowboy." He muttered, staring out the window to hide his face.

"What?"

"You're not as bad as you make yourself out to be."

"Really?" Vaughn let out a deep chuckle. "I guess I'm just not trying hard enough then."

**/~/**

**A/N: Hey! I'm sorry for not updating recently x.x Lots of work and school to do, but I promise to work harder for all my readers!**

**Just a word of warning, the next chapter is going to get really depressing ^^;**

**Thanks to Nicole! I'm still continuing with this!**

**I love all you guys! Thank you so much for reading, merci beaucoup!**


	6. The Funeral

"Nngh...Gah! C-Come on..."

Anyone listening in would have imagined the sounds being from Vaughn and Skye having a nice, hot romp around the kitchen. But no, Vaughn had just put Skye to work again (to Skye's delight, without a maid outfit), scrubbing the table as Vaughn read the newspaper to the side. The younger male was having a hard time getting a spot out of the tabletop, grunting as he scrubbed vigorously with the brush.

"Mmm...Grr..."

Vaughn tapped his foot in disgust. Eventually he slammed down the paper and stared daggers at Skye. "Do you mind? It doesn't have to be perfect."

Skye wiped his brow and stared back at Vaughn just as heavily. "If I'm going to be forced to do it, I'm gonna do it ri-!" The Phantom's expression dropped suddenly as he spied the page Vaughn had been reading: the obituaries. "L-Let me see that..."

Vaughn picked up the paper again and buried his face in it. "Why? You should be-"

Skye snatched the paper without a word, looking frantically through the entries in the obituaries before stopping all together. His face turned pale behind the paper, almost sickening. His crimson eyes were wide yet lifeless, hands trembling on the ends of the pages.

"S-She's dead...She's really dead. Miss M-Miriam..."

"Who?" Vaughn stood up and moved closer to Skye, whose eyes were quickly on the verge of tears. He threw down the paper and dashed past Vaughn, avoiding any contact with him and ran to his room, slamming the door. Vaughn huffed and picked up the paper. He assumed this "Miriam" character was someone Skye had a fling with, skimming the page for the mentioning of the woman.

Instead, the cowboy was surprised at what he saw.

Under the headline, "Miriam Wylder", there was a picture of a graceful, elderly woman. Even through the paper's black and white print of her, her aged beauty showed through like fine wine. Her eyes were soft and caring, her figure and face plump and one of a cheery nanny. She had curly hair down to her shoulders that framed and hugged her face, lines of age present but also giving her a gentle charm. No doubt Miriam had been a mother, having the air of one even through a picture.

Vaughn tried to piece everything together. _Mother? Grandmother? No...No one would be so formal with family. A friend, then? But why would he get so worked up? That's not like the Phantom._

Newspaper in hand, Vaughn made his way up the stairs to Skye's room. He opened the door carefully. Inside the Phantom was sprawled across the bed on his stomach, one arm hanging limp off the bed as the other pressed the pillow to his face. Skye had heard Vaughn come in and stifled his soft sounds. He didn't want his tormenter to see him in such a weak state, let alone tease him for crying.

Vaughn sat down at the edge of the bed and let out a sigh. "I'm sorry."

Skye didn't respond. Vaughn kept going. "She must have been pretty important to you, seeing as you're acting like this. How did you know her?"

The Phantom took a while to answer. After a moment he pulled his face away from the pillow enough to speak.

"She was all I had left..."

**/~/**

"_We can't keep him! He's running us dry! I told you we shouldn't have had a kid!"_

"_I won't let you throw your only son away!"_

"_He's a leech, sucking us dry! Clothes, food, supplies...We can barely feed ourselves with that brat still alive!"_

"_Don't you dare talk about him that way!"_

_A little boy sat in the small den of his house. The boy couldn't be more than five years old, with snowy hair atop his head and shiny ruby eyes that shined with innocence, yet happiness. He was dressed in clothes a little too small for him, but he didn't care. His mommy and daddy were yelling, but what about? He heard "son", was it him? The boy shook his head. He wasn't supposed to listen, his mommy told him to play with his toys! And that's what he did, one hand on his red firetruck while the other was plastered over an ear to keep out some of the noise his parents made. "Vroom, vroom!"_

"_This is your fault! You're the one who insisted we have a son, when we can't even take care of ourselves!"_

"_I wanted to have a family!"_

"_Happy now? You got your wish! Now we're going to starve...And it's your fault...Well I won't be a part of it anymore!"_

_The sound of heavy shoes hitting the floor, then a slam of the door echoed through the small shack of a house. The boy removed his hand from his ear. The loud noises were gone, but...the boy heard a softer noise._

_He picked up his truck and went into the kitchen to see his mommy burying her face in her hands, sobbing quietly. "Mommy..?" The little boy bit his lip and looked at the woman with worried eyes. Why was his mommy crying?_

_The woman turned to her son, wiping her eyes. The boy placed the truck on his mother's lap. "Play!" He smiled brightly. The woman sniffed, picking her son up in her arms. "I love you!" The little boy helped wipe his mommy's eyes, giggling. "I love mommy!" _

"_Yes, Skye..." The woman hugged the boy close. "Mommy loves you too..."_

**/~/**

_Skye sat in the back seat of his mother's car, kicking his feet and playing with his toys. His mother had taken him with her to see someone, but he was supposed to wait in the car. The rain outside pounded hard onto the glass, and Skye could barely make out two figures talking on the stoop of a house. One was of course his mommy! The other was someone unknown, a stranger. She was chubby and round, with square glasses on her nose. She looked older than his mom, and Skye wondered just how his mom had met her. "Mommy, it's cold. Come back now!" Skye tapped on the glass. His mother was getting drenched with no umbrella, as the other woman stood in her doorway. He didn't want his mom to catch a cold!_

_After a few more minutes, he saw his mother cup her hands as though she were praying. She raced back to the car, opening Skye's door. The wind and rain rushed in, and Skye coughed and wiped his eyes. "Come on, come on, Skye!" His mother helped him gather his toys, along with some bags she pulled from the trunk. She pushed Skye up the walkway toward the mysterious woman, and Skye began to whimper._

"_Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid! You'll be staying with Miss Miriam for awhile. This woman will take good care of you!"_

_Skye began to cry, first softly, then growing louder. His mother handed the bags to the other woman and placed Skye on the doorstep, out of the rain. Bending down, she got to Skye's level, taking his hands in her's._

"_Skye, don't cry. I'll be back for you, I promise!"_

_Skye looked up at his mother through watery eyes. He could see that she was crying too. He lifted his hand and wiped his mother's eyes. "Pwomise?"_

"_Pinky swear..." The woman held out her hand, and their fingers intertwined._

_Skye's mother stood up and prepared to leave. She waved to her little boy, and he waved back, both sets of eyes brimming with tears again. "Come along, child." The older woman said to Skye as she led him inside._

"_I promise Skye!" His mother shouted back to him. "I'll come back!"_

**/~/**

_Days turned to weeks, which turned to months, and then to years. Skye had spent most of his life living with Miriam, and at first, Skye was nervous and scared. He stayed in his room most of the time. After a while, he began to branch out. He tried new things with Miriam's guidance. He learned to cook because of her. But all in all, he never forgot about his mother._

_Skye, now 12 years old, sat in the living room with Miriam, watching the woman knit. Miriam tried her best to take Skye's mind off of his mother. Every day Skye checked the mail, waited by the phone, and looked out the window. Though over the years, these actions were less frequent, but he still kept an eye out._

"_Miss Miriam, can I ask you something?" Skye rested his head on his hands._

"_Yes dear?" _

"_...Why did you take me in?" The white haired male pulled his knees to his chest. "Did my mom know you?"_

_Miriam placed her yarn down and smiled sweetly at Skye. The woman had aged over the years he had been with her, but her smile was something that never lost its luster. "No, she didn't. She was struggling to purchase food at the grocery store when we met. I loaned her some money. She felt so touched that she told me about you. At first I felt strange for accepting the agreement to take you in, but we both knew that...You needed a better life than that."_

"_Oh..." Skye stayed silent for a while. "Do you think she'll be back?"_

"_I have no doubts." Miriam stood up slowly. "Now, how about dinner?"_

_Skye smiled sweetly. "Great! Let's have pasta!"_

_Skye rushed into the kitchen to start the water. Miriam followed after. As the woman walked into the kitchen, the phone rang. "Hello?" She answered, her smile fading suddenly._

"_Oh...O-Oh my..."_

**/~/**

_The waiting room of a hospital._

_He never thought he'd end up here._

_Skye buried his face in his hands. He rocked back and forth, trying to comfort himself. "Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay..."_

_When they got that call, Miriam began to tear up. Skye had turned around, and immediately panicked. She took the boy's hand and hurried him out of the house. The rest was a blur. His mind couldn't process what happened. Everything was spinning. His world was falling apart._

_His mother had tried to commit suicide._

_Why? Why? This wasn't how it was supposed to happen? Okay, no wait, she wasn't dead. She wasn't dead..._

_The doctors had told Miriam and Skye that Skye's mother had swallowed a large amount of prescription drugs. They were currently pumping her stomach, but due to her weight and strength, they were worried that they might have been too late. The very thought made Skye sick to his stomach, racing to the bathroom many times that night._

_Miriam was led to the back where his mother was held, while Skye was left in the waiting room. He tugged at his hair, gripped the seat, tapped his foot. Anything to distract himself. "What's going on..?" Skye got up and paced the floor, looking toward the door that separated him from his mother. "What's going on?" He ran to it and tried to look through the window. He tried to open the door, but it was locked, people only able to be buzzed in. _

"_Let me in! My mother's in there! What's going on with her?"_

_Tears formed in his eyes, even when he thought he couldn't cry anymore. Skye was desperate. He demanded to know what happened. It was _his _mother after all!_

_After a minute, Miriam came back out. Her face was pale and her eyes lifeless. "Come along, Skye..." She gently took the sobbing boy's hand and led him to the back. They came across his mother's room, looking in on her through the window._

_Her body was void of life and color. Her eyes were shut tight, no sign of movement. "Mom!" Skye pressed his hands to the glass. "Mom...She's okay, right? She'll wake up soon...Yeah...She's just sleeping." Skye nodded, that had to be true! "She needs her rest after everything that's happened. Maybe we can bring her food when she wakes up!" Skye smiled up at the older woman._

_Miriam said nothing. She continued to watch his mother through the window. A doctor entered the room from the other side, along with two nurses. They began to unhook the machines to her._

"_Hey, doesn't she need that?" Skye looked up at Miriam. She said nothing._

_They turned off everything. The doctor unfolded a sheet at the end of the bed._

_Skye smiled again. "Oh, they're just making her comfortable."_

_Together, they pulled the blanket up, then farther, over the woman's head._

"_W-What..?"_

_Skye looked on in absolute horror. Why were they..? That couldn't be...No! Miriam placed a hand on Skye's shoulder, then pulled him into her arms. "I'm s-so sorry Skye..." She whispered, choking back a sob. He pushed her away, dropping to his knees and slamming his fists on the floor._

"_She lied to me! She lied! She told me she'd come back for me! She lied to me!"_

**/~/**

The room was eerily quiet. Vaughn looked over the paper again. Looking at Miriam's entry, he saw that there would be a ceremony for her. "Hey, the funeral is tomorrow. Do you want to go?"

Skye sat up slowly, wiping his eyes. He glared at the cowboy. "You're only doing this to patronize me, you're only going to use this against me later. As a favor that you did me once? That's the only reason. Why do you-"

Skye was silenced by a swift, hard punch from Vaughn, filled with anger. He fell back against the bed, head spinning and face sporting a large red mark. "Ah..." He held his hand to his face, wincing at the pain. When he came to his senses, Vaughn's cold, violet eyes were shooting daggers at him.

"I'm not doing this for you, you piece of trash. I'm doing it for the woman who had the heart to take you in, the willpower to put up with your shit. Whether you decide to go or not is not my problem. Make up your mind."

Skye sat in surprise, rubbing his face. After a moment, he nodded. "...Thank you."

**/~/**

The funeral was held in a small church near the place where Miriam's house was. It was the church she would bring Skye to almost every Sunday. It was a nice, homely building, with wooden paneling and large windows that brought in a lot of sunlight. It reminded Skye of the many times he and Miriam would sit in the same pew every Sunday, the woman teaching Skye about the Harvest Goddess.

Everyone there was in line to see the body before they made their way out to the grave site. Skye and Vaughn were the last in line. After they had reached the coffin, everyone else was in the foyer, lining up and waiting to proceed. Skye and Vaughn were the last in the main room.

There she was, Miss Miriam. She was dressed in one of her hand-sewn gowns, her hair neatly styled and pristine. Her hands were folded on her chest, her face as void of life as when Skye had seen his mother in the hospital. It brought back painful memories quickly.

"I...feel so alone now..." Skye bit his lip to hold back a soft sob. "I feel like I should have stayed with her, instead of running away and having the life of a...thief. Maybe I could of-"

Vaughn placed a hand on the man's shoulder. He could feel that Skye was trembling. "There's nothing you could have done. These things happen, Skye."

"But why her? Why?" Skye dropped to his knees, tears pouring from his ruby red eyes. "Why..?" He sobbed, holding his head in his hands.

Vaughn didn't react. He spoke softly and calmly. "She wouldn't want you crying over her, Phantom. I think it would make her very sad to see you with tears in your eyes. Use this opportunity to say goodbye, but do it so that she knows she's free from this world. Free from the pain and heartbreak, emotions and ties that make and break us. She can be truly happy now."

Skye's sobs began to die out. Standing up, the white haired male wiped his eyes. Vaughn then did something neither of them thought he would _ever _do. He threw an arm over Skye and pulled him in closer. The act overwhelmed Skye, and he found himself burrowing his face in Vaughn's shirt, sobbing out his pain from years past.

_Thank you...Miriam_

**A/N: OMG what did I just update?**

**Wow I never do that.**

**Sorry! I've been really bad about this but I've had tons of work to do! So I'll try to do better. **

**Dedicated to Nicole, Amanda, and all the Harvest Moon lovers out there!**


	7. Note de l'author

**Hello everyone~ I haven't given up, not yet XD**

**Now it's time for a series of events all entitled: "Lost in Translation", Skye's first trip to the Island with Vaughn.**

**All chapters pertaining to the series will have the main title "Lost in Translation" in them. Which means I may or may not be adding more once the main conflict is over**

**Thanks to everyone who's still reading~**

**-MidnighLore**


	8. Lost in Translation: Arrival

_Okay...Let's assess the situation..._

Skye was awakened at four in the morning by Vaughn (luckily, without water this time). He was rushed into the shower, hurried into some clothing, and didn't even have time for breakfast. Now he was standing on a dock in the cold with his keeper, shivering and rubbing his arms. And all that time, Vaughn didn't say a word. He merely stood there; he didn't even seem affected by the chill of the morning.

"What the heck are we waiting for?" Skye asked, annoyed that he was here instead of a warm, soft bed.

"What else do you wait for on a dock? We're waiting for a boat, and here it comes now."

And just like that, Skye saw a cloud of smoke on the horizon, emanating from the stack of a large, wooden ferry. It chugged along, making waves in the water until it started to slow down, and eventually stopped in front of the duo. A whistle was blown, and then a ramp was lowered to the docks. An official dressed in a blue uniform walked down to greet them. His eyes immediately turned to Vaughn.

"Mornin' Vaughn. Another day, huh?" The crewman glanced toward Skye. "Who's this?"

"He's an assistant of mine." Vaughn answered coolly. "He's coming along today. I can't trust him alone."

Vaughn really knew how to hit sweet spots...Wait, that did _not _come out right. Skye rolled his eyes, and after Vaughn payed a small fee, followed the cowboy on board.

To his surprise, the room Vaughn and he were shown to was almost luxury, better than sleeping on the ground when he was on his own. There were two, nice sized twin beds own either side of the room, a simple yet inviting rug covering the floor, and a bench under the window with a vase on either side, each full of flowers.

Skye was on the bench, trying to get warm. He didn't know where Vaughn disappeared to, and he didn't care._ That smug bastard thinks he can drag me around, and call me his assistant_? _Hell no!_

Vaughn came back into the room while Skye was distracted with brooding. He was carrying a blanket in one hand, and some coffee in the other. He draped the blanket over Skye's shoulders, a surprise to the Phantom, and handed him the drink. The older male then took a seat next to Skye on the bench. "We should be there shortly."

Skye was sure that his cheeks were red, avoiding the other's gaze, but keeping him in the corner of his eye. _Had Vaughn been looking for these things...for me? _"...Thanks."

Vaughn didn't answer, only looked through the window. After awhile, he spoke. "Here we are."

Skye looked out the window too. On the horizon, a figure began to appear. It slowly grew to show a large island, lush and green with life. It was Skye's first time seeing an island, and the first time being on one. "Wow..."

The ship pulled into the dock and lowered its ramp. Skye and Vaughn walked off the boat and onto the sand of the beach. The smaller male bent down and ran his fingers through the grains. The sand here even felt different than Forget-Me-Not Valley and its beach.

A hand grabbed Skye's shoulder and pulled him up from the ground. "Come on, we've got work to do." Vaughn said sternly. Skye's lips twisted in a frown. "I'm not your damn lackey."

"As long as I'm in charge of you, you are."

**/~/**

The two made their way into town, Skye trudging after Vaughn with a bored look. Vaughn led them to a small, red shop on the road. When they entered, Skye was immediately hit with the smell of fodder and feed. The interior was rustic, with horseshoes as decorations, and wood paneling. It reminded him of something out of a theme park.

A short, plump woman came from around the corner, her sandy blond hair curled neatly atop her head. She wore a red shirt and a blue apron, with a light blue skirt that peeked out from under the smock. "Good morning, Vaughn." The woman smiled.

"Morning, Mirabell." His usual stuffy tone didn't change, even when talking to a sweet woman like this. Skye was entranced by Mirabell's warm air. Her build, her smile, her eye, they were just like Miriam's.

"And who's this? He looks almost like you!"

Skye grimaced at being compared to the cowboy. "My name's Skye. It's a pleasure, madam." He gave one of his overzealous bows to the woman.

"Skye..."

Skye swallowed hard, loud enough for Vaughn to hear him. Did people know about the Phantom even all the way out _here? _Would Mirabell kick them out, or have them escorted off the island?

"That's a splendid name. It's light and airy, like, well...the sky!" Mirabell giggled.

Skye let out a huge breath. _Damn, that was close. _"Thank you, ma'am."

Skye was asked (well, ordered is more like it) by Vaughn to sit and wait while he finished business with the store owner. As he waited, from around the back came another woman, much younger than Mirabell, and also, with much more..._shape._

Her eyes were as blue as the sea they rode in on, her form covered and shown off by her white shirt, underneath a light blue jacket. Her skirt was short and dark blue, and as Skye's eyes moved down her legs, it was coupled nicely with white boots. Her hair was the same color as Mirabell's, but much longer, running down her shoulders like a golden river. Skye was truly taken aback by the woman's beauty.

Mirabell looked past Vaughn and caught Skye eyeing the girl. "Oh, Skye. You don't know my daughter yet." She walked around to the front of the counter, Vaughn with an annoyed look on his face. She motioned for Skye to stand, and ushered the younger girl in front of him. "Skye, this is my daughter, Julia."

Skye smiled and took Julia's hand in his, earning him a sweet giggle like birdsong. "It's a pleasure to meet the gorgeous daughter of an equally beautiful woman." Skye said, kissing Julia's hand.

She smiled brightly. "It's nice to meet you too, Skye. Such a polite man, we don't see much of them these days, huh, mom?" Julia laughed, glancing at Mirabell, who was laughing as well, and then to Vaughn. No doubt they were talking about the cowboy. Vaughn wasn't impressed, Skye simply snickered.

Skye and Julia spent the rest of the time talking while Vaughn and Mirabell finished up business. From the other side of the store came laughs and giggles, no doubt the Phantom was charming Julia, sometimes at Vaughn's expense. As Vaughn worked with Julia's mother, his ears were finely tuned onto Skye and Julia's conversation.

A few minutes had passed before Vaughn went around to the living space. "Come on, let's go." He said to Skye. "We've got some other things to take care of."

Skye wished he could stay here, but Vaughn would probably just tie him up with that rope and drag him away. He gave another bow to the ladies. "I had a wonderful time with you both. Farewell!"

Mirabell and Julia both waved goodbye as they left, Julia almost looking sad to see him go. When they were outside, Skye's expression changed back to its gloomy demeanor. "Where to now, O mighty keeper?"

"Cut the shit and let's get going." Vaughn hissed, which almost made Skye jump out of his skin. _What's his problem?_

_**/~/**_

Vaughn and Skye spent the entire day going around town, and Skye was in charge of carrying things. Mostly receipts and paperwork, since Vaughn had decided to order things for his ranch. Nothing beats home grown food, instead of the chemical pumped stuff in the city.

As the day was winding down, Vaughn and Skye stopped in front of another store. Skye groaned softly. His feet were killing him, and his arms were loaded with papers and folders. He really just wanted to sleep, since he was awakened so abruptly.

Vaughn turned to Skye and reached into his pocket, pulling out what looked like a business card. He handed it to Skye. "You can head to the hotel. It's down the road there." He pointed in the direction of the building. "Show them my card at the front desk and they'll put the room on my tab. Place the papers on the table. Think you can handle that?"

"I'm not stupid, I can handle it." Skye snatched the card. He was just glad to be away from the rancher and finally getting a rest. Skye turned to head to the hotel, and left Vaughn to do...whatever it is Vaughns do.

**/~/**

Skye checked into the hotel without a hassle. He was shown to the room, a spacious, light blue room with hardwood floors and giving it that rustic charm like the rest of the town had. Skye set the papers on the desk as asked, and then sat on the bed with a relaxed sigh. He laid on the bed, looking out the window.

Much of the sight was just land and buildings, but something _did _catch the Phantom's eye. There was a shadowy figure just a few feet from the hotel, who seemed to be...looking right at Skye! Skye leaned closer to the window, making out a male's build, before the figure darted away as fast as a cat. It disappeared across a bridge and into a dark forest.

_Wow..._Skye leaned back on the bed, wondering what happened. Had someone known that he and Vaughn had been here this whole time? And what did they know about him? Curiosity got the best of the man: he would investigate just who that figure was.

Hurrying down the stairs and out the door, Skye looked around for the forest. Sure enough, he found the bridge that led to it, and headed across it. Soon, he was face to face with darkness, shreds of light peeking through the dense grove of trees. He wandered in deeper, wondering what he was getting himself into.

He came across the mountainside, looking up at the giant. It was breathtaking. He heard the chirp of birds and the sounds of breaking twigs under animal paws. The fresh air wafted past him, filled with the scent of wildflowers and damp earth. Skye took a deep breath. Just living out here would be a dream.

"You..."

Skye jumped and turned around quickly, coming in contact with a surprise. From the other's build, Skye could tell this was the man that had been watching him. He was barely clad, his chest bare with a tiger print cloth around his waist. The same was around his wrists, and had boots to match. There was tribal paint across his cheeks, a tattoo on his arm, and a knife attached to his ankle. His hair was a chestnut brown, dirty and uncombed, and his eyes were a dark chocolate brown, sharp and fierce like a lion's fang.

Skye's heart skipped a beat. He was in trouble now. He took a few steps back. "Who...W-Who are you..?"

The male replied simply. "Shea."


	9. Lost in Translation: Meeting Shea

Skye stared into the other's eyes, his own filled with terror. What was he supposed to do now? What would this mysterious person do? Skye saw the knife strapped to Shea's leg. His eyes darted from the blade to its owner. _Should I try to say something? _It was obvious the man knew English. So...it couldn't hurt to-

A low growl could be heard from the brush behind the Phantom, followed by a roar. Skye yelped and ran behind the primitive man. _Gee...that was really manly..._Skye thought to himself.

What had been behind Skye was a rather large black bear. And an angry one, at that. It seems that Skye was trespassing in its territory! The bear narrowed its beady eyes at the white haired male, inching closer. "Do something!" Skye pleaded and started moving back.

Shea never budged. "Not yet."

The bear raised up on its hind legs, ready to fell the two in one fatal swipe. That was Shea's opportunity. Building up a big breath, Shea raised his arms and let out a cry. The bear was deterred, but not scared off. But Shea accomplished what he needed to do: buy Skye time.

"Run north!" The brown haired male called out to Skye. "To house!"

Skye hesitated, but did as he was told and ran north. Although, he assumed it was north, he couldn't really tell. But like the other had told him, parted brush revealed a rather well-built, yet simple house near a running river. Behind the shack, Skye could see a large, stone tower jutting into the air. Everything looked so...tribal. He didn't expect _anything _like this to be on the island.

The door to the house opened with a creak, and Skye froze in his tracks. From the house stepped a man that could only be described as...crooked. He had sharp angles to him, thin to the point where you could see the bone. But he looked strong, nonetheless. He was wearing an animal pelt, legs and limbs bare. The tribal man had surly black eyes, which locked onto the Phantom at first glance. Since there was no one else around this part of the island, Skye assumed this man must have some relation to Shea.

"U-Um...Hello."

The man simply stared, and Skye wondered if he knew English. As they stood there, another loud roar echoed throughout the forest, and Skye trembled. It sounded like the roar was closer then.

Then, the other finally spoke. "Come." It was a deep and sort of raspy voice, and he waved his hand for Skye to follow him inside. What other choice did he have?

Skye followed the tribal man into the shack, and it was rather different than the outside. Pelts of various animals hung on the wall, as well as tapestry with all sorts of colors. There were spears in one corner, knives and axes in another. In the center of the foyer was a large pit; Skye assumed that the two lit fires there. The older man took a seat on a straw mat next to the pit, offering a seat to the Phantom without a word. Skye sat next to him, nervously holding his ankles in Indian style. Who were these people? What happened to Shea? And most of all...what would happen to him?!

He felt a sudden hand on his shoulder. "Wada." The other spoke, gesturing to himself as an introduction.

Skye nodded slowly, before smiling. "Skye."

"Sky?" Wada looked up to the ceiling, tilting his head.

"Oh! N-No, _I'm _Skye..." Skye tapped Wada's shoulder to turn back his attention, gesturing to himself as the man had done before.

Wada gave a toothy grin...or what remained of his teeth. Skye found it charming; these people must not have had much contact with others, if any at all.

The two saw the door fly open suddenly, Shea standing in it. The first thing Skye noticed was a stream of red running down his arm. The Phantom shot up with a startled look. "You're hurt!"

"Fine." Shea said sternly. He made his way to a chest in the back of the room, using his good arm to pull out a roll of cloth, then went to the back where his room was located. Skye followed after him, leaving Wada alone.

Inside, the tribal man tried to tear the cloth apart, but he seemed in pain as he did. Skye ran over to Shea's side, taking the cloth from him. "Let me do it, you're injured. And I want to thank you for saving me..."

Shea only stared as the male wrapped up his injured arm. "Why are you here?"

"Oh...I...Well, I wanted to see the island!"

Shea wasn't amused. "Do not lie."

Skye let out a large sigh. "I was forced to come here by that tyrant, Vaughn."

"Vaughn?" The brunette thought on it. "Rancher?"

"Yes!" Skye nodded. "That's him. I've been forced to work under him as his slave in exchange for _not _going to jail. I hate it though. He's wishy washy and I can't tell what he's thinking!"

Shea watched the man get angry. But...It didn't seem like true anger. It seemed like, confusion. Skye looked like he wanted to understand Vaughn. "Leave?" He asked the white haired male.

"I can't, I..."

"Stay here on island. You will be free. Come with us." Shea smiled warmly. "Won't let Rancher stop you." He pointed to himself. "Stay."

Skye felt his face heat up. Shea was offering to protect him from Vaughn...But did he really want to go? Who knew when he would get freedom from his tormentor, the one who held him against his will, and...

"Shea...I'll stay."

**(Here guys, have a chapter. I want to update before I go to school, and finish this saga, so have faith**

**Dedicated to Nicole, Amanda, and the HM Lovers of the world)**


	10. Lost in Translation: Faux Friendship

It was late at night when Skye returned to the hotel. He had spent the remainder of the day with Shea and Wada, laughing and talking with them (As best they could). Shea took Skye out to see the river, how it shimmered at night with the many polished rocks and scales of traveling fish. He took him to the mountain, to the top where they could see the stars as they started coming forth. The tribal man showed Skye the flowers of the forest, the different types of food you could find, as well as some of the _friendlier _animals. All the while, the Phantom had a smile on his face. He could grow to like it here with Shea and Wada. He could make a living on this island. Though he couldn't hunt, he could go to town and get supplies for them so they wouldn't have to leave the forest. Skye was already planning his new life here.

Skye figured he should return before Vaughn got all huffy. He didn't realize how late it was until he got back. There was no one at the front desk, all the lights were turned off and it was so quiet, the man heard the crickets like they were right next to him. Skye tiptoed up the wooden stairs and up to their room. He opened the door slowly, trying to quiet any creaking.

"You're home late."

The younger male nearly had a heart attack when he heard Vaughn from the shadows. Vaughn stepped forward into the light of the moon coming from the window, and Skye took in a breath. The cowboy was missing his familiar attire, even his hat was gone. The only thing he wore was a pair of white boxers; Skye could see the lines and creases in Vaughn's chest, his white hair out of its neat style. He looked so…_different_.

Skye stood his ground as best he could. "I-I was just out exploring."

Vaughn raised a brow. "Not trying to escape, are you?"

_Not trying to escape? Not trying to escape?! _"I'm not your damn slave! You may have saved me from going to jail, but you've made my life worse than what it would be if I were behind bars!" The smaller man yelled, enough to have others waking up. "I'm tired of you, and I've decided that I'm staying here on the island!" He turned around to the door. "I'm going to stay with a friend, and I don't care if you call the cops on me or not! I know I'll be safe from everyone here, including _you!_"

Skye didn't leave just yet, his hand rested on the doorknob as he heard something that a part of him didn't want to hear.

"Then go."

The two stood in their places, Vaughn watching Skye's back, Skye gripping the handle of the door. His emotion turned to anger. "Fine then! I will!" The door flew open with force, and the Phantom walked out.

/~/

Skye stared at the door to Shea's home. His hand was raised to knock, but he didn't. He let out a large sigh. Somehow he didn't think he should have left. Maybe this was all a mistake.

The door opened and Skye was surprised to see Shea there. He had a cloth wrapped around his waist, the bandage still on his arm, and nothing else except the knife strapped to his ankle. Skye figured that in the wild like this, you had to be prepared for anything.

"Shea, I…" Skye started, but Shea stopped him. He took the Phantom's hand and pulled him inside, to his room. They both sat on the makeshift bed in the corner, and in the moonlight Skye could see that the room was decorated like the foyer; tapestry and animal pelts, but with a little bit more weaponry…

Shea still had Skye's hand in his. "Not good..?" He was asking about Vaughn.

"I hate him…I hate him so much!" Skye said with tears brimming. "He tormented me and humiliated me! He stood up to me and didn't treat me like a kid..!" _He cared for me, when Miriam died, when I was cold…I got to see his gentle side. _The tears fell. "Why did he..?!" _Why didn't he chase after me?_" Skye then realized that he didn't want to be treated like a kid; that maybe Vaughn was trying to break him of his thieving habit all along? Is that why he was scared out of his skin? Why he put him to work? But that still didn't excuse what Vaughn did…He was so confused!

Skye was so focused on himself that he didn't notice that both of Shea's hands were on his sides. He looked up at the other, somewhat scared.

"Then…stay."

Shea locked lips with Skye, hand cupping the Phantom's head as the two fell back onto the bed. "S-Shea! Hey!" The silver haired male twisted and turned, but the brunette kept a _firm _grip on the other. His eyes looked serious, serious enough to make a move.

Skye panicked. He yelped when Shea bit down onto his neck, harder than would be. "Aah! L-Let me go, please!" He winced, the tears from confusion and anger turned to ones of dread and fear. Shea captured Skye's lips again; a rough and hard kiss that was sure to leave both their lips red.

The Phantom managed to knee Shea in the chest, causing his grip to loosen. He moved away and tried to climb off the bed, but Shea grabbed Skye's leg, growling. The tribal man crawled on top of Skye, and a flash of metal made the weaker man's skin crawl. Shea placed his knife to Skye's neck. "You will stay…"

Skye heard a low chuckle from Shea as he dove down to lick over his neck, his free hand crawling down his chest. Skye didn't know what to do, what to say. His head was spinning and his eyes looked like he had seen a ghost. He didn't know what was going to happen, all of a sudden it just spurted out:

"Vaughn!"

As if on cue, the window to Shea's room shattered into pieces. The two heard a clicking sound, and Shea turned his head to come face to face with Vaughn's gun. Vaughn smirked. "And here I thought you were just an ignorant savage."

Shea growled, taking the knife from Skye's neck. Vaughn gestured to get off of the male, and the brunette did so, moving to the wall. The rancher picked Skye up by his collar, the ghostly look still in his eyes. He ushered the Phantom outside of the shack and into the brisk night air, while Shea and Vaughn had a "talk".

/~/

Skye sat next to the front door of the shack, hugging his knees to his chest and even afraid to look up. What had happened? What was going on? He was confused and hurt, and just wanted to run, run somewhere. Anywhere.

He heard a sound coming from the room, one of a door closing, and standing up, he went to look into the shattered window. Skye's eyes went wide. There was Shea, hanging from his wrists by a banister on the ceiling. His feet were only inches above the floor, but his ankles were bound too. Vaughn figured he could stay there for a while until Wada came and found him.

Skye's stomach turned. He ran to the river like he was going to vomit, but didn't. The only thing that came out was more tears. He felt a hand on his back and looked up. Vaughn was kneeling beside him, rubbing his back. "I'm sorry this happened to you."

Skye wanted to speak, to say _something_, but couldn't. No words came out. Vaughn simply nodded, and with a swift motion, scooped the Phantom into his arms. The pairs of crimson and violet eyes met again, so close to each other. Vaughn earned a small squeak from Skye, who blushed. But somehow, Skye felt safe in the male's arms.

Vaughn walked them back to town, Skye never taking his eyes off the rancher. "Vaughn…Thank you. I-I...I don't know..."

"It's alright, Skye." Vaughn looked down at him, softness to his eyes. "I had a feeling you had met Shea, and I didn't trust him from the start." The rancher then did something Skye never thought would happen. He lifted Skye up closer to him, leaning in and gently pressing his lips to the Phantom's. Skye gasped some, but returned the kiss, cupping Vaughn's face with one hand. More tears fell down his face, but now they were ones showing how content he felt in the other's arms.

Maybe this wasn't such a bad thing.

**(Hey guys, another chapter for my lovely readers 3 Thanks so much**

**Dedicated to you-know-who)**


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